Guard for trolley conductors and hangers



w/YM

Oct. 1, 1929. w, sc 1,729,900

GUARD FOR TROLLEY CONDUCTORS AND HANGERS Filed March 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 16 Q 1 1a 7\' A WITNESSES: lNV ENTOR Oct. 1, 1929. w. SCHAAKE A GUARD FOR TROLLEY CONDUCTORS AND HANGERS Filed March 28. 1927 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l v I e4 v I WlTNESSESI INVENTOR 1% 7: M

William Sc/make ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 1, 1929 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM SCHAAKE, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE,

ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA GUARD FOR TROLLEY CONDUCTORS AND HANGERS Application filed March 28, 1927. Serial No. 178,891.

My invention relates generally to overhead-trolley-conductor systems for electric railways and more particularly to guards for the conductors and hangers in such systems.

In trolley hangers of the usual type employed in overliead-trolley-conductor sys-' tems for electric railways, the lips of the hangers become worn and thereafter the trolley collector wheels wear the trolley conductor at the points where it is supported by the trolley hangers. Also, the trolley conductor is pitted by reason of the arcing that occurs between the trolley wheels and the conductor at the points where the hangers are attached to the conductor. The pitting of short sections of the trolley conductor, and the Wearing of the hangers soon reduce thewhole system to an unsafe condition, and comparatively large replacement costs follow.

The object of the invention, generally stated, is the provision of a guard for'the conductors and hangers of overhead-trolley-conductor systems that shall be simple and eflicientin operation and capable of being readily and economically manufactured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guard that will prevent the-wearing of the lips of the hanger and of the trolley conductor adjacent to the hanger.

A further object of the invention is to reduce or eliminate sparking between travel- L manner that they depend on both sides of the trolley hanger or ear and protect the conductor and hanger from wear by the trolley-conductor wheels.

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with l the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is a view, in side elevation, of a guard constructed in accordance with one form of my invention Fig. 2 is a view, partially in elevation and partly in section, of one end of the hanger and guard illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a modified of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a view, in side elevation, of'the device illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the device illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4; and

Fig. 6 is a View, in section, taken on the line VIVI of Fig. 4.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, is illustrated a. trolley hanger 1 of a well-known type comprisingan inverted hollow metal body portion 2 having transverselyextencb ing lugs3 for attachment to a guy-wire (not shown). A screw threaded stud 4, having a head 5, is secured to the hollow metal body portion 2 by a body of molded insulating material 6.

A trolley ear 8 comprising a longitudinal inverted channel member 9 adapted to receive a trolley conductorlO, is provided with lips llthat may be bent around the con ductor 10 after the insertion of the latter in the channel portion 9 and a centrally CllS- posed internally threaded boss for receiving the stud 1, is suspended from the body portion 2.

The guard, illustrated as mounted on the hanger, comprises an elongated body member 12 provided with an offset central portion 13 and a pair of protective runnersl l and 15 the top portions 16 and 17 of which are secured to the ends of the body member 12 by means of rivets 18, and the lower portions of which extend downwardly and'inwardly on the sides of the hanger.

form

The guard shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be constructed by stamping the parts from any suitable metallic sheet material, bending them into the desired form and fastening them together by any well known means, such as riveting or welding.

I The body member 12 is provided with a centrally located aperture 19 in its oflset portion 13,'whereby the guard may be secured to the hanger by threading it upon the stud 4 when the trolley ear 8 is mounted thereon. Therefore, the guard will be held firmly between the upper portion of the trolley ear8 and the lower portion of the trolley hang-er 1. A lock washer 20 may be placed in posi tion on the stud l between the hanger 1 and the trolley ear 8 to assist in looking the parts in position.-

In Fig. 2, a trolley wheel 21 is illustrated in contact with the protective runners, in accordance with the position it will assume as it passes along the conductor 10 under the hanger.

In the modified form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 3, l, 5 and 6, each end of the trolley car 8 is provided with an upwardly extending lug 22 to which the ends of a pair of protective runners 23 and 2a are fastened by means of bolts and nuts 25. The protective runners 23 and 2d are preferably constructed or flexible sheet material, and their central portions are shaped to extend downwardly along each side of the trolley ear 8 to a position where they are adjacent to, and substantially parallel with, the trolley conductor. Therefore, the runners will act as a cushioned wearing contact for the trolley collector wheels.

When a trolley wheel passes along a trolley conductor that is supported by hangers which are provided with my improvec guard, the wheel will engage the flexible or resilient protective runners instead of striking the lips of the trolley ears as it passes under the hangers, and will thereby be prevented from wearing away the lips of the trolley ears. Furthermore, inasmuch as the protective runners are constructed of metal that a good conductor of electricity, they will act as a path for the current flowing from the trolley conductor to the trolley wheel. and thus avoid any arcing and pitting at the point where the trolley conductor is sus pended from the hanger.

While the illustrated examples constitute particular embodiments of my invention, 1. do not limit myself strictly to the details here shown, since, manifestly, the same may be considerably varied without departing from the spiritof the invention as delined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1; A guard for trolley conductors and trolley-conductor hangers comprising a body member adapted to be rigidly secured to the upper part of a trolley ear and side members secured to the body member and extending downwardly to protect the ear.

2. A. guard for trolley-conductor ears co1nprising a body member adapted to be rigidly secured to the upper part of a trolley car and resilient side members secured to the body ngmber and extending downwardly to protect the ear.

8. A guard for trolley-conductor ears comprising a body member adapted to be secured to the upper part of a trolley ear and side members secured to the body member and extending downwardly and inwardly to protect the ear.

4. The combination with a trolley hanger providedwith lips for gripping a trolley conductor, of a pair of protective runners having downwardly extending portions adapted to prevent the lips of the ear from being worn away by current collectors, and

means for rigidly connecting the upper portions of the runners to the body of the ear.

5. The combination with a trolley hanger provided with lips for gripping a trolley conductor, of a pair of protective runners having downwardly extending portions adapted to prevent the lips of the hanger from being worn away by current collectors, and means for rigidly connecting the ends of the runners to the body of the hanger.

6. The combination with a hanger 't'or trolley conductors comprising an insulator, a trolley conductor ear, and a threaded stud for connecting the ear to the insulator, of a guard for the ear having a body portion provided with a central aperture, whereby it may be threaded upon the stud and be held between the ear and the insulator and having side portions that depend downwardly along the sides of the ear to protect the ear.

7. The combination with a trolley conduc tor and a hanger therefor comprising an insulator, a trolley-conductor ear and a thread ed stud for connecting the ear to the insulater, of a guard for the ear comprising an elongated body member provided with a cen-' tral aperture whereby it may be threaded upon the stud and be held between the ear and the insulator, and side members attached to the body member and extending downwardly to protect the car.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of March,

WILLIAM SCHAAKE. 

